It wasn’t easy - that’s the honest, frank assessment of Matthias Jaissle when discussing the Newcastle United exit of Nick Woltemade.
However, it was a much easier call to keep fringe men Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy on Tyneside in the final hours of the summer transfer window.
The Magpies’ trio were subject to interest as the clock ticked down, but only Woltemade was allowed to walk, albeit on loan to Juventus, without an obligation or option to buy. Willock was wanted by Turkish outfit Besiktas, while Murphy saw numerous bids from Nottingham Forest rebuffed.
And while the latter duo remain, and could be in line for improved terms at United, Woltemade’s exit throws his long-term future in doubt. Jaissle admits it was tough letting him go.
‘I’m optimistic he’ll shine’
He said: “First of all, I really appreciate Nick as a player and as a person. We always had honest conversations, and he decided to take another challenge in a top league with a top club.
“We’ll monitor him closely. I’m optimistic he’ll shine there and score a lot of goals. He’s still our player, so we’ll stay in close contact.”
When asked whether letting the 24-year-old club record buy depart was hard, Jaissle confirmed he sees Woltemade as a ‘special’ talent.
“Definitely,” he said. “He’s a special player with huge potential. It wasn’t easy for him to get the minutes he deserved here, so hopefully this move suits him.
“I messaged him yesterday. I really hope he succeeds because he deserves it, and we’ll keep a close eye on him.”
What next for Willock & Murphy?
Speaking about the reasons for keeping the pair, Jaissle said: “We have a well-balanced squad now. The lads did well in pre-season, they showed their quality, and I think they still have potential to do even better. That's why we made the decision that this is the final squad.”
Newcastle United host AFC Bournemouth at St James’ Park on Saturday, kick-off 12.30pm.